Your self-esteem is not only how you feel about yourself in the present, it is how you asses yourself fundamentally through out the long term. If you have low self esteem, daily events can have a major influence on how you feel. For example, a kind gesture from a friend or a good day at work can make you feel great for a few days. And alternately a not so nice day can make you feel extremely low. And lets face it most days are uneventful and dull, so when you have low self esteem staying high can be a struggle!
A good healthy self-esteem is based on accepting yourself for who you are - know who you are, and be content, like yourself!
Your Self-esteem Has Been...
Built and developed throughout out your entire life to this point in time now! And yes you guessed it, child hood had a huge impact on your self-esteem. All the pleasant, good, bad and ugly stuff that happened while growing up had an influence on how you rate yourself today.
Healthy self-esteem will have been built from praise, respect and stable influences while growing up. People who were yelled at, regularly criticized, abused, given no positive attention, bullied etc, will have found it difficult to develop a healthy self-esteem.
Argue With Your "Inner Voice" To Help Improve Self-Esteem
We all have an inner voice constantly chatting away inside our heads. It passes comment on everything we did/do/want to do. And for those with healthy self-esteem it reassures and compliments. For us with poor self-esteem the inner voice criticizes, puts us down and stands in our way!
When you do something, like for example - compete in sport or go for a job interview, and some one praises you the inner voice will say something like "he was lying, you were terrible, don't bother next time". What you must do is contradict the inner voice, and snap back with something like - "He praised me because I did well, I might not have been perfect but win lose or draw I did my best and I'm proud of myself!"
Using Positive Affirmations To Improve Self-Esteem
A positive affirmation is a positive statement about yourself. Use them in a meditation technique, as well as through each day by saying them to yourself in your mind. Ideally you want to relax at least once a day and just quietly repeat some positive statements to yourself - playing some relaxing music at the same time is real good help!
Self-Nurturing To Improve Self-Esteem
Self-nurturing is critical to improving self-esteem. Start by looking after yourself physically, by eating well, staying/getting into shape and having all the sleep you need - not too much and not too little.
Self-nurturing to improve self-esteem is making yourself feel worthwhile. Treat yourself regularly by doing fun and enjoyable things - especially when you've achieved something meaningful. You must reward yourself for accomplishments!
Think of the things you like about yourself, and remind yourself constantly about them. Don't dwell or punish yourself for failing - reward yourself for trying in the first place.
Remember to concentrate on the good and learn to forgive what you perceive to be the bad. Times when you don't feel good or positive are crucial, you must find things about yourself that are good no matter how small they might be! Improving self-esteem will come by doing these things.
Your Environment Is Vital To Improving Self-esteem And Maintaining It
Being surrounded by warm, loving people is a huge factor in self-esteem. Now I know this isn't possible for a lot, not everyone has a caring friend and family network. However you must ensure that those you do have in your life accept you, and of course you must accept them for who they are. A feeling of acceptance will help you to realize that differences between people are okay. Relationships with others will be easier to build by understanding this.
Bond with those you see and interact with every day, do this by simply talking, touching while talking, showing respect, listening, being supportive, and being honest. Liking those around you and knowing that they feel the same about you is a huge boost to ones self-esteem!
Criticism
Don't be sorry for who you are! If and when you're criticised, for what ever reason be sure to "judge" what is said to you before responding. Don't automatically apologise! If the criticism is fair then take it on board and respond by agreeing with the criticiser. If unfair then stand up to it, like with your inner voice.
A well composed and self-possessed person will listen to criticism without interrupting and then respond.
Be sure to give criticism at appropriate times, people with poor self-esteem often find it harder to give than to take. Don't let annoyances go until you "boil over", it's usually better to nip things in the bud. Be tactful and try not to hurt another persons' self-esteem. Use the word "I" not "you", example - I have trouble when that happens.
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How To Improve Your Self Esteem
I believe that everything that happens to us each day happens for some reason or another, and we should make the best of these situations. Rather than shutting your-self away in fear, worrying and crying about past hurts, embarrassment and failures, and getting depressed, use the experiences as your guides and lessons. Use them to improve yourself and build your self-esteem.
No one is going to force the idea to build your self-esteem, and it is not a rule. You may wonder if some people are born leaders or positive thinkers. However, they made the decision to be positive, and they choose to stay positive. The choice to build your self- esteem that will ultimately help you to improve your self, is a choice you must make.
This article provides some tips that will help you improve yourself by building your self-esteem. The tips will help you to be aware of the things and people that may be lowering your self-esteem. You will learn to maintain your self-esteem when things may not be going the way you expect.
Just imagine that you are a needle-cushion and everything and everyone else around you are needles. At some stage in your life, you will get these needles striking or pricking you. They will destroy your self-esteem and pull you down in ways that you would not even imagine or remember. However, you must not let them destroy you, or get the best of you. You should take care to avoid these needles, or when you are exposed to them, you should not allow them to torment or damage your self-esteem.
A Changing Environment
One of the hardest things for most people is learning to accept change. You cannot place a square pan in a round hole and expect it to fit. Changes cause us to make paradigm shifts, test our flexibility and adaptability, and alter the way we think. Changes can make things hard for us for a while. It may make our lives stressful, but it will help us find ways to improve our selves. We will always face many changes throughout our lives. However, we can and must learn to accept them and be subject to them in order to maintain our self-esteem.
Negative Genetics and Upbringing Traits
It is believed that your personality and your behavioral traits is an end product of the traits you inherited, the way you were raised up, and your environmental surroundings that may include your spouse, workplace, or close friends. However, you must know that you have your own identity. You are a unique person and do not have to be like any one else. If your mother was a failure, this does not mean that you must be a failure. You can use the experiences of your mother or other significant person in your life. Learn from that person, so that you will not have to make the same mistakes he or she made.
Negative Behaviors of Others
Some people thrive on negativity. However, they should know that, this keeps them in a prison of low self-esteem. Not only does this affect them, but you will also become affected with negativity if you keep company with them for any length of time. These kinds of people include the bulldozers, gossipmongers, whiners, backstabbers, snipers, controllers, naggers, and complainers. Their negativity can rub off on you and cause your self-esteem to lower and thus jeopardize your self-improvement.
Negative Work Place
You must be aware that some people will do whatever it takes to reach the top of the ladder, and you will find many people fighting just to get ahead. Even if you are one of the persons, who are reliable, punctual and do more than your fair share, it is most likely that you will not be recognized. An organization where people are fighting to reach the top is a place where you may not be appreciated, and no one will notice any of your achievements. You should try to stay out of this environment because it can damage your self-esteem. In most work places, competition is at stake, but you must be a healthy competitor in a healthy competitive environment.
Negative News
People tend to spend too much time listening or reading the news of the day, most of which is bad news. Be careful of the things that you watch. Do not get caught up in the negative aspects of the daily worldviews. When attempting to build self-esteem, we must learn how to make the best out of a bad situation.
It is difficult sometimes to stay tough especially when things and people around you keep pulling you down. What you must remember is to take up the right tools and experience to use. Select those that will stand the test and defeat the negativities. We are provided with many options, and as we travel along the way, we will be stuck by many needles. However, it is up to us the way that we respond to the pain and bruises that we encounter. Thicken the inner parts of the cushion, so that you will experience a change in yourself. You can change your attitude, behavior, and the way you think when you change your inner self.
Building self-esteem makes us responsible for who we are, what we achieve, and what we do. When we are building self-esteem, it will eventually lead to self-improvement. It is like a flame that gradually spreads like a brush fire from the inside and out. When we develop self-esteem, it allows us to be in control of our goals, values, and discipline.
Self-esteem brings about self-improvement, true self-assessment, and purpose. You can begin to build your self-esteem by being positive, contented, happy, and peaceful. Be appreciative of others and never miss an opportunity to make a compliment. Show gratitude. You can improve your self by building your self-esteem when you live in a positive way.
Both David Stuart & Carmen Bodden are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
David Stuart has sinced written about articles on various topics from Rats as Pets, Self Esteem and Recreation and Sports. After many years of struggling with my own self esteem, I have written about how I overcame my own insecurities.http://www.improvingselfesteemfast.com. David Stuart's top article generates over 6600 views. Bookmark David Stuart to your Favourites.
Carmen Bodden has sinced written about articles on various topics from Online Business, Marketing and Home Based Business. Carmen Bodden is an Internet Marketer providing self-help and improvement programs to enhance every area of your life. Discover how you can stay healthy, and improve relationships and finances at. Carmen Bodden's top article generates over 74000 views. Bookmark Carmen Bodden to your Favourites.
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